Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 1245: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if the grant for schools starting the leaving certificate applied programme will be re-instated; if assurances will be given that the leaving certificate applied programme will not be subject to further reductions in funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33889/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

In 2008, my Department provided grants of €1.23 million to schools for the Leaving Certificate Applied programme. Schools also benefited from an equipment grant, amounting to €5,079 for each school offering the programme.

As a result of the need to make savings in Budget 2009, this grant was abolished with effect from 1 January 2009. The budget required difficult choices to be made across all areas of public expenditure. These decisions were made to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. In this respect, the education sector, while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure, could not be totally spared. Even with the budget measures in place there will still be a significantly increased borrowing requirement in 2009.

While certain grants were abolished, such as that available for the Leaving Certificate Applied, I would like to emphasise that the capitation grant for post-primary schools has been increased by 4.3%, representing an increase of €14 per pupil, to bring it to €345 per pupil from January 2009. Voluntary secondary schools also received an increase in the school services support grant by €8 per pupil from January 2009. This will mean, for example, that a secondary school with an enrolment of 500 pupils will receive an additional €11,000 in funding in 2009. A more favourable teacher allocation ratio applies to the Leaving Certificate Applied programme.

Planned expenditure levels for my Department will be considered as part of the Estimates and budgetary process for 2010, and the decisions on all of the issues arising will be a matter for the Government.

It would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this stage pending the outcome of these deliberative processes.